Did President Emmanuel Macron Break Royal Protocol with King Charles at Windsor Castle?
- - - Did President Emmanuel Macron Break Royal Protocol with King Charles at Windsor Castle?
Meredith KileJuly 11, 2025 at 4:17 AM
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President Emmanuel Macron and King Charles at Windsor Castle on July 8, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for a possible breach of royal protocol
While inspecting troops at Windsor Castle, President Macron walked a few steps ahead of King Charles, which is typically frowned upon
A similar controversy arose in 2018, when President Donald Trump walked ahead of Queen Elizabeth
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for what some say was a breach of royal protocol during his official state visit to the U.K.
As part of his ceremonial welcome on July 8, President Macron and King Charles inspected the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards at Windsor Castle, walking among the troops. However, some pointed out that Macron walked a few steps ahead of the King for much of their procession.
"Shouldn’t he know he is not supposed to walk in front of the King? Dude truly thinks he’s Napoleon," wrote one user on X, while others accused the French president of having "no respect, no class."
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President Emmanuel Macron and King Charles at Windsor Castle on July 8, 2025
While it is true that royal protocol usually dictates that no one walk in front of the monarch, GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker explained during their livestream that the rules were slightly different in this case.
"[It] is perhaps custom that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state, which is the honored guest at Windsor Castle," he said.
Walker also pointed out that a similar uproar happened in 2018, when Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Donald Trump for a state visit. During their inspection of the guard, Trump walked ahead of the Queen and blocked her as they rounded a corner.
"President Trump was heavily criticized for walking in front of Her Majesty the Queen," he noted, adding, "There shouldn't really have been perhaps so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did."
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Queen Elizabeth II and Donald Trump inspect a Guard of Honor at Windsor Castle on July 13, 2018
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While his royal etiquette may not have been strictly against the rules, some have said the late Queen did find Trump distasteful.
In his 2024 book A Voyage Around the Queen, biographer Craig Brown writes, "A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him 'very rude:' she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting."
Macron's royal etiquette was also called into question at the start of the visit, after he and his wife, Brigitte, disembarked their flight at RAF Northolt on July 8. Prince William and Kate Middleton greeted them on the tarmac, and Macron met Kate with a kiss to her hand.
While the gesture may have raised some eyebrows, it is not actually against royal protocol. The royal family’s official website explains that there are no strict codes of conduct for meeting royals.
"There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way," the website states.
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Source: AOL Entertainment
